Italian minister denies Italy paid ransom

January 16, 2015 1:14 PM

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MILAN — Italy’s foreign minister has denied reports that Italy paid $12 million in ransom to free two young aid workers held for five months in Syria.

Hours after 21-year-old Greta Ramelli and 20-year-old Vanessa Marzullo landed in Rome Friday, Paolo Gentiloni told lawmakers that the reports “were void of any basis in reality and in some cases spread by terrorists.”